Taking a cue from video games, a new idea for therapy

It can be fun to fantasize about life imitating a video game. Kelli Dunlap is researching what happens when veterans battling depression do just that.

Dunlap, 26, is developing a mental health treatment program that rewards patients at Washington DC VA Medical Center in the same way video games do: by “leveling up.”

New gene therapy shows promise against X-linked retinitis pigmentosa

A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults. The technique works by replacing a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal working copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function. The findings are published…

Gene therapy can reduce painful bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia B

Symptoms improved significantly in adults with the bleeding disorder hemophilia B following a single treatment with gene therapy developed by researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and demonstrated to be safe in a clinical trial conducted at the University College London (UCL) in the U.K.

The findings of the six-person study mark the first proof that gene therapy can reduce…

Scientists devise a way to reduce side effects of lung cancer therapy

Scientists may have a way to double the efficacy and reduce the side effects of  radiation therapy.

Georgia Health Sciences University scientists have devised a way to reduce lung cancer cells’ ability to repair the lethal double-strand DNA breaks caused by radiation therapy.

“Radiation is a great therapy – the problem is the side effects,” said Dr. William S. Dynan, biochemist and Associate Director…

Gene therapy may promote growth of hair cells in inner ear

Normal hearing depends on the presence of healthy hair cells in the inner ear. Gene therapy has the potential to slow the loss of hair cells and promote the growth of hair cells that have already been damaged.

In gene therapy, genetic material - DNA or RNA - is transported by a carrier to cells to provide instructions for and replace damaged genes. The carrier must…

Early aquatic therapy after TKA may improve quality of life

Despite increased use of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a notable lack of consensus about optimal postoperative treatment. Aquatic therapy has been shown to have a beneficial effect, and it is typically begun two weeks after surgery, after the wound has healed. According to a new study published in theArchives…

Low T Center for testosterone replacement therapy opens new clinic in Denver

Low T Center is opening a new clinic at 12213 North Pecos, Westminster, Co., a suburb of Denver on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. This men’s oriented clinic will provide testosterone replacement therapy in the form of testosterone injections for men around the ages of 40-60 years old.

Testosterone injections do not just help boost a low sex drive but can also boost…

CRF sponsors Seventh International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

WHAT:

The Seventh International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseasesponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is a comprehensive program dedicated to the evolving field of cell-based therapies for the repair and regeneration of cardiac and vascular disease, as well as related diseases such as diabetes and stroke. This year’s conference will focus on preclinical and clinical studies on the…

Proton therapy safe and effective for men with prostate cancer

Proton therapy, a type of external beam radiation therapy, is a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer, according to two new studies published in the January issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics (Red Journal), the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) official scientific journal.

In the first study, researchers at the University of Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., prospectively studied…

SonoPhoto Dynamic Therapy shows promise against squamous cell carcinoma

George Miller developed an ulcer on his bottom lip that began to bleed.  His doctor sent cell scrapings to a pathologist, and diagnosed Miller with squamous cell carcinoma(SCC).  According to TMD Limited, a medical tourism company, squamous cell carcinomais the 2nd most common cancer in humans and other animals.

Squamous cell cancers can occur on the skin, lips, mouth, esophagus, bladder, prostate, lung,  vagina…